Composite flight plan

skidoo

skidoo

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skidoo
In planning a flight from KEUG in Oregon to KGPI in Montana, suppose the following weather:

Willamette valley overcast at 2000 MSL. Partly sunny East of the Cascades to Spokane. And, from Spokane to KGPI there are ceilings of about 9000 MSL and scattered precip. Say the freezing level is 8000 MSL

It looks like one could easily go IFR from KEUG via V23, V112-182, V520, V204 at 7000 MSL or less but can not cross the mountains from Spokane to KGPI without potential icing at the MEA's of 12 to 13K.

So, my questions are

1) What would be proper procedure to file a composite flight plan where it was to be IFR from KEUG via the routing above to Spokane, then drop down to VFR and continue on to KGPI VFR?

2) If you can, how can you file a composite flight plan like this via ForeFlight?

3) Is a composite flight plan the most appropriate for this or is there a better plan for a flight in such conditions?
 
Personally I would:

1. Make very damn sure you won't get icing at 7K.

2. File IFR the whole way and then cancel once you are comfortably VFR.
 
Yeah I agree with the above. Just file IFR. When you're sure you can proceed the rest of the way VFR, just tell approach you want to cancel and stay with them for FF. Takes a few seconds to amend your altitude to VFR.

I really don't see the need for composites for civilian application. Military uses them heavily because of the nature if their missions.
 
composite flight plans are a mythical creature that exist only in FAA exams. Live specimens never been observed in the wild.
 
JHW said:
composite flight plans are a mythical creature that exist only in FAA exams. Live specimens never been observed in the wild.
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Lol! This is when everyone chimes in with how they do composites all the time, along with cruise clearances, thru clearances, block altitudes, contact approaches, etc, etc, etc. :D
 
Good idea to just file IFR to the destination and cancel when needed! I had just thought that filing to the destination while knowing that I couldn't complete it IFR due to icing at the MEA near the destination would not be a good thing. I was thinking that filing composite would be a way to inform ATC of my intentions. But, it sounds like it is unnecessary to do that...
 
Velocity173 said:
Lol! This is when everyone chimes in with how they do composites all the time, along with cruise clearances, thru clearances, block altitudes, contact approaches, etc, etc, etc. :D
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True that!
 
JHW said:
mythical creature that exist only in FAA exams
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Like a remote indicating compass with a free gyro mode and a clockwise heading drive button and a counter-clockwise heading drive button? Don't push the wrong one, lest the airplane explode.
 
dmspilot said:
Like a remote indicating compass with a free gyro mode and a clockwise heading drive button and a counter-clockwise heading drive button? Don't push the wrong one, lest the airplane explode.
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Reminds me of my G1000 transition training. "Turn the knob. If the indicator goes the wrong way, turn it the other way."
 
Next thing you'll start telling them about the oral switch. You know, that switch that every large plane has. It's mandated by the FAA. It's the switch that has the highest ratio between oral questions asked vs. actual function in real operations.


JHW said:
composite flight plans are a mythical creature that exist only in FAA exams. Live specimens never been observed in the wild.
Click to expand...
 
Velocity173 said:
Lol! This is when everyone chimes in with how they do composites all the time, along with cruise clearances, thru clearances, block altitudes, contact approaches, etc, etc, etc. :D
Click to expand...
The only cruise clearance I've received was going into Kwajalein. About 200 miles out we'd get a SEL-CAL from San Fransisco ARINC with, "ATC clears [callsign] to Cruise FL390 to the Kwajalein airport. Report arrival." I guess there's not a lot of traffic out there...
 
Live specimens never been observed in the wild.
Click to expand...
+1

I was talking to an experienced old bear who, at that time, was the facility manager for one of the big L-M FSS sites. He told me that the briefers aren't even trained on composite flight plans and would not know what to do if someone tried to file one.

I did get an altitude block once.
 
If there is any question on weather I prefer to file IFR the entire trip. You can always cancel.
 
thru clearances, block altitudes, contact approaches
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Done 'em all...but STILL haven't filed a composite flight plan.

+1 on IFR all the way.

I recently 'got smart' and filed an IFR flight plan that started at the 75% point along my route. I called the right facility and they flat out didn't have it. They sent me over to Flight Service. When I attempted to air file a new plan with them, they said, "you need another plan? You've gone one filed already, it's in the system, they should be seeing it."

Well, they weren't and it took another 15 minutes before they were able to get it. My 'shortcut' of going VFR for the first few hundred miles paled into comparison to the 15 minute delay of holding outside of the DC SFRA waiting to get my plan activated.
 
coma24 said:
I recently 'got smart' and filed an IFR flight plan that started at the 75% point along my route.
Click to expand...
Yes. When departing an airport under the north side of our Bravo and heading south I often get vectored all over the place before being turned loose by Approach and shipped to Center. There is a VOR south of town and I have often considered filing from that VOR instead of my departure airport, then launching with a squawk and flight following.

A month or so ago I took an ARTCC tour and ended up plugged in with a controller for a half hour or so. I asked her if such a filing would be a problem or an issue. "Not at all" she said. The strip for the flight plan would be showing on her electronic strip display just like any other flight plan. All I would have to do when checking in would be to ask for it. So that's my plan for next time.
 
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dmspilot said:
Like a remote indicating compass with a free gyro mode and a clockwise heading drive button and a counter-clockwise heading drive button? Don't push the wrong one, lest the airplane explode.
Click to expand...

I just leave the thing slaved, I'm too scared to push those 30yr old buttons. Who knows what it will eff up.
 
skidoo said:
In planning a flight from KEUG in Oregon to KGPI in Montana, suppose the following weather:

Willamette valley overcast at 2000 MSL. Partly sunny East of the Cascades to Spokane. And, from Spokane to KGPI there are ceilings of about 9000 MSL and scattered precip. Say the freezing level is 8000 MSL

It looks like one could easily go IFR from KEUG via V23, V112-182, V520, V204 at 7000 MSL or less but can not cross the mountains from Spokane to KGPI without potential icing at the MEA's of 12 to 13K.

So, my questions are

1) What would be proper procedure to file a composite flight plan where it was to be IFR from KEUG via the routing above to Spokane, then drop down to VFR and continue on to KGPI VFR?

2) If you can, how can you file a composite flight plan like this via ForeFlight?

3) Is a composite flight plan the most appropriate for this or is there a better plan for a flight in such conditions?
Click to expand...

I also vote for an IFR flight plan, you can always ask for an alt or route change if you need to, and can always cancel. And at higher elevations do not accept a vector from ATC unless you know where it's going to take you.
 
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